Miscommunication
by Pleurez Mes Yeux
Summary: Yugi speaks to Yami after he shielded Mai and Joey from Ra's attack. He means one thing, but Yami hears another. Puzzleshipping, but it's kind of one sided.


**So here's a conversation with Yami and Yugi in the aftermath of Marik's duel with Mai, after Yami blocked Ra's attack. Kind of one-sided Puzzleshipping-it's the result of Tokoyonokuni's comment about hoping to see a puzzleshipping fic. The dynamic between Yami and Yugi may make more sense if you read "Where I Stand" first, since this was written with the events of that story in mind, but if you'd rather not, I think this story can also stand on its own. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

**As always, please read and review!**

**~Pleurez**

Yami didn't want Yugi in his soul room. Unfortunately, he lacked the strength to keep him out.

He lay sprawled on the floor, his entire body throbbing, with the worst of the pain radiating from his back. The spirit's shadow magic had allowed him to absorb Ra's attack so it had struck only his soul, sparing his charge from harm. But it had left him incredibly weak.

He heard Yugi before he saw him. As the boy's soft footsteps drew nearer, Yami pushed himself off the ground, coming to sit on the floor. His whole being seemed to scream against the effort.

Yugi arrived just in time to catch the harsh gasp of pain that the spirit couldn't suppress.

"Are you alright?" His large, violet eyes shone with concern as he approached his counterpart, crouching beside him.

He forced a smile. "I will be fine, Yugi."

The boy's eyes narrowed just a little. "You will be? That means you're not now."

Yami winced.

"Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head. "Ra is an… exceptionally powerful monster, Yugi. I am afraid I will need time." He hated to admit his fallibility—perhaps his charge would decide he didn't want a protector as weak as he. After all, he'd only barely managed to shield Joey and Mai—if the attack had lasted just a little longer, his strength would have failed too soon, and he would have fallen and left Yugi's friends vulnerable.

Yugi looked away. "You scared me, Yami," he confessed. He balled his hands into fists and he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "So many of my friends have already been hurt and—"

"Forgive me, Yugi." The spirit bowed his head. He'd failed. He'd saved Mai and Joey from Ra, but he hadn't been able to protect Mai from Marik's shadow magic.

Yugi's brow furrowed. He hadn't meant to make the spirit feel guilty. But when he'd seen the attack strike, it felt like his heart stopped. He wasn't sure if the spirit could die, so perhaps his fears were unfounded, but all he could think about was how _empty_ his life would be without Yami.

"Yami, I…" He trailed off, feeling a lump in his throat. "Just… Just promise me you won't… you won't do it again." Amethyst eyes met crimson, staring into them searchingly.

The spirit sighed heavily. "I… I will do my best, Yugi." It pained him, but he couldn't definitively promise that he wouldn't fail again. But he would strive to protect his charge and his friends to the best of his abilities.

The smaller boy's shoulders slumped in relief. He flung his arms around Yami's neck in a hug.

"Ah!" The spirit cried out.

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean...!" Yugi jerked back, cursing his own stupidity. He knew Yami was still hurting…. But he'd been so afraid… So afraid that he'd never have the chance to tell the spirit _how much_ he cared about him. But in a different way than he cared about his friends.

He supposed "love" was the right word for it. Though, he had frighteningly little experience with the word…

Part of him wanted to blurt it out to Yami right then and there. The recent duel had made the sobering reality that "tomorrow" was never guaranteed painfully clear. But another argued that he couldn't just yet. The spirit couldn't afford that kind of distraction.

After the tournament. He'd have to wait until after Marik was defeated…

He repeated quietly, "Please. Don't do that again."

"As I said, I will try my hardest," Yami promised.

Yugi could hear the exhaustion in his voice. As he regarded the spirit, he grimaced. He was pale, trembling from the exertion of even something as simple as a conversation. "I… I guess I should let you rest…"

Sheepishly, he stood and headed towards the door. Just as he closed it, he murmured quietly, "I love you, Yami," testing the words out of earshot of the pharaoh. Looking back to the closed door to the spirit's soul room, he said, "After the tournament…"

On his side of the door, Yami slumped to the floor. "Forgive me. I… I tried…"

He should have been stronger. He should have been able to protect them all. But he'd failed—failed so badly that Yugi had felt compelled to scold him for it. He hadn't thought it possible, but his charge's words dwarfed the physical pain.

"Forgive me."

He couldn't imagine resting with such a heavy heart, but fortunately the need proved too pressing to be ignored. Within minutes, he succumbed to unconsciousness.


End file.
